CHEEK TO CHEEK

- Part 4 -

"What is she doing?" Harry thought aloud.

Ron raised his eyes from his magazine: "Who's she?"

Harry answered him a little constrained: "Your sister"

"Ginny? I don't know, why? You're waiting for her? "

"We have a party tonight, and I don't know when or where we have to go."

Harry decided not to hide anything to Ron as it was only a party, and not a rendezvous.

Ron leant towards him and said "You and Ginny?"

"Well… Yes."

"Is this serious?"

Harry took a deep breath "It's only a party, that's all, nothing more."

Ron went back in his armchair "Of course…"he said, not really convinced.

"Yep, we will dance. I assure you there's nothing more."

Ron laughed at loud: "You? Dancing? Please stop! "

"I swear!" Ron continued to laugh.

"Ron, you can be such a jerk sometimes…"

Ron was still laughing when Ginny entered in the room.

"Are you ready?" She asked Harry.

He looked at her. No! He was not ready! She saw his troubled face: "I'm joking, Harry!"

She looked at her watch "Good, it's 7pm, we will leave around 9pm. Will you be ready?"

Harry agreed. Two hours will be just fine.

And yet, an hour and half later, he was in the bathroom, taking a shower.

"Gosh, Harry! Get out from here! We're leaving in half an hour! "

The shower stopped, and seconds after, the door opened. Harry left the bathroom "Ok, ok, I'm out …"

Ginny was taken aback when she saw Harry with only a towel around his waist "Not bad…" She said.

"What?!" Harry asked.

Ginny came back on earth: "Nothing, nothing" She pushed him in the corridor "Go! Go get ready! I am in a hurry."

Harry looked at her as she entered the bathroom. Had she red cheeks because she was in a hurry? Or because she had seen him with only a towel? Putting his male pride on the side, he thought he had irritated her as she had to wait a long time in the corridor.

"Ginnnnnnnnnnnyyyyyyy!!!!! "

Harry turned to Ginny's friend, Caroline. "What a voice! "he said.

Jack, Caroline's boyfriend turned to him "Telling me …" the two young men smiled. Caroline seemed upset: "Yeah, as you, guys, have no flaw…"

Ginny went downstairs while running and howling "Mom, Papa, am going, Harry's coming with me!"

She looked at three other young people who were waiting for her: "Go, go, go, let's move!" She said with a great smile. 

"Hey ! WE are not late, you are ! "Caroline answered her while she went through the door.

"At least, she didn't throw you out the bathroom naked" Harry said with a smile.

While Jack answered him: "Weird, Caroline did to me the same thing …", Caroline glanced interrogatively at Ginny who answered "I will explain to you later".

As soon as they arrived at the party, Ginny found her boyfriend. "Who's that?" He asked to her when he saw Harry. Harry held his hand to him "I'm Harry." The other shook Harry's hand "I am Fred." Then Fred led Ginny towards another group of friends. Harry found himself alone with Jack "Hum, what a welcome!"

He found in Jack an undeniable ally: "He's a jerk anyway. Caroline and I wonder why Ginny likes that guy. She probably likes, well… You know…" Harry made a face and Jack led him to the bar.

An hour later, Ginny came back to Harry. "I'm sorry, I may have forgotten you." 

"Nah, don't be sorry." Jack said "We got along. Not true, pal?" He took Harry by the shoulders.

Caroline arrived "Uh, here's your glass." She held it to Jack. "And here's for you, Harry."

"Uh, no, it's fine." He said. Caroline pretended to be upset: "Really?" She winked at Ginny.

"Uh yeah, I assure you."

 "If he doesn't want any, don't force him." Ginny stood up for Harry; even she had herself drunken at least 4 glasses of Martini. And Harry, kind of upset that Ginny stood up for him, took the drink. After all, a second glass wouldn't hurt him. Ginny looked at him and took him apart: "Harry, you said to me that you didn't like that. Don't try to show you up ".

"I'm not showing me up!" Harry answered and drank half of his glass. Ginny shook her head as a sign of disapproval but then she was smiling: "You're such a kid! Come on, come dance with me, you promised me… "

She winked at him. And then as Harry didn't want to embarrass himself with his glass, he drank the other half of his glass and put it on furniture next to him.

One hour later, the party was at its height, most of the guests were dancing; Ginny and Harry were part of them. Between two drinks, they were devoted to their small sexy dance, just as many dancers around them. They were having a great moment, but that wasn't the case of Ginny's boyfriend, who started seriously to hate Harry. Suddenly, he went towards them.

"Come on, Ginny, dance with me."

Ginny turned to him and as the music was deafening, she shouted to him "You don't like that!"

He leant over her and took her in his arms " I like others things…"

Ginny laughed out loud "Shut up, Fred!" She looked at Harry. She didn't really want to stop dancing… with Harry… But Fred took her hand and led her towards the opposite side of the room. Ginny made sign to Harry that she would return in a short time.

Harry stopped dancing and moved towards Caroline and Jack "This guy is full of crap!"

Caroline laughed "Really? Fred? YOU were dancing with his girlfriend for like an hour! "

Jack told him that it was the truth and held another drink to Harry who took it, despiteful. He looked at Ginny and Fred who were kissing passionately on an armchair. When Caroline left, Jack asked to him: "Jealous?"

Harry didn't get the question: "What?"

"Are you jealous of him?"

Alcohol helping to express his feelings, Harry answered "yes" very quickly.

"You know Caroline explained to me… About you and Ginny…"

Harry wrinkled his eyebrows "There is nothing between us."

"But you'd like to?"

Harry drank a little and answered "Why not."

Jack started to laugh "You have to tell her… See what she thinks about it."

Harry joined him in his laughter: "Yeah, I'm going to see her, right now… While this guy is kissi… "He looked at them.  "This really pisses me off!" Harry finished his drink and joined the centre of the room. There he met a brunette with who he started to dance.

When Ginny raised her eyes, she didn't find Harry where he was the minute before. She looked for him while Fred was kissing her neck. She found Harry dancing with a brunette. Ginny was wondering why she was suddenly caring for him. Why was she jealous if he decided to spend some minutes with another girl? Harry had never been with her, and she didn't hope anymore that he was going to be with her someday. And yet, this evening… She had felt so comfortable with him while they were dancing. They had spoken about all and nothing, which was exactly she had wished for years.

"What?"  Ginny asked.

Fred looked at her and answered, smiling: "I asked you if you wanted to go to a quiet place?"

Ginny moved away from him "Uh… No."

Fred was astonished: "What?"

Ginny tried to get away from his arms: "I said no."

He tried to hold her back: "Come on, you have never been against…"

She suddenly rose "I am not in the mood."

She went to Harry who was still dancing with the same girl. When he saw her, Harry mumbled: "Uh, Ginny, this is…" the girl said: "Cat." Harry repeated "Cat." Ginny knew she wanted to slap this girl but she ended up smiling "I am sorry, can I borrow him from you, Cat?" Cat looked at her, not smiling, and told her "Yes". However, Cat took the face of Harry in her hands and kissed him on his lips. She deepened the kiss and Harry didn't really push her away. Ginny, exasperated, took Harry by his arm and led him towards Caroline and Jack.

"Can't believe you! Stupid idiot!" She looked at her friends "He's being kissed and he does nothing!" Caroline and Jack laughed "Come on! He can take care of himself!" Caroline said to her. "Thank you." Harry said while Jack winked at him.

"Come on Harry! I would never have believed that of you… And… You smell alcohol."

Harry answered her "You too darling!"

Ginny looked daggers at him "I'm dreaming! Harry, come on! We're going home!"

The three others looked at her, dismayed. Harry was the first to move. He took her by the shoulders and in her ear he whispered to her it was still early.... And that they haven't finished their dance yet…

Ginny didn't know if Harry really wanted to dance with her but she agreed "Then… Ok, we're staying a little more." Then she smiled. It was true that she wanted to dance with him… Both went to the centre of the room and began to dance. And despite the attempt of Cat, Ginny didn't leave Harry until the end of the party.

"What a party! That was great!" Harry shouted.

"Hussssh!" Ginny said. 

They were a few meters from the Burrow and Ginny didn't want her parents or his brother to come there and see her in this state. And besides, Harry was in the same state.... A shame…

"Come oooon, Ginny! They are sleeping!" Harry loudly continued.

Ginny walked some steps behind and joined him "Hush Harry! Lower your tone! "

Harry giggled and whispered "You are such tensed!" 

Ginny raised her eyes to the sky. And looking at Harry, she also giggled when she saw Harry's pitiful eyes. "Well…  Look at us. Shame on us!"

Harry sat down on the pavement and Ginny did the same thing. They had to calm down before they enter the Burrow. Harry started to talk "Your friends are fun".

"Aren't they?"

"But, I don't like your guy, he's a weird guy."

Ginny turned to him: "Oh? Well… He is who he is."

"Yeah, but still, I think he's a jerk."

Ginny laughed. "Stop criticizing him! Nobody is flawless."

"Of course, we can be flawless… Look at me… I am flawless…" A smile illuminated his face.

"But of course…" Ginny said.

"I can tell you: I'm a good dancer, am nice, sexy, I enjoy sports, am famous… "

"Being famous… Are you sure it cannot be a flaw?"

"Nah…… not really, I only said that to show me up."

"And modest on top of that…"

"Well, maybe I am not so perfect after all!"

Both giggled.

"Anyway, I think it's over between us…" Ginny told him.

Harry look at her "Between us?"

"I mean, between me and Fred …"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I've been a little rude to him tonight."

"Oh…"

"And it was your fault!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Come on, this girl couldn't stop wriggling in front of you. I had to rescue you!"

"Were you jealous?" Harry asked. "Well, I have her number!" He took it from his pocket. Ginny got the small paper and tore it "Nah, but you are so naïve. I had to come to your rescue!"

Harry pretended to be upset "Me? Naive?"

"She was picking you up!"

"Yeah, so what? It's not as if I had somebody in my life… " 

"Mhm, this is true…"

"And by the way, you too wriggled in front of me!"

Ginny hit him on his shoulder "Funny!"

She explained: "I wasn't picking you up… me!"

"But I was!" He paused "Picking you up…"

Ginny suddenly understood what he had said and remained with her mouth wide opened.

Harry started to feel that the effect of alcohol was disappearing but took advantage of this moment of truth. He looked at Ginny in the eyes "This is as much surprising?"

Ginny didn't know what to answer. Obviously, she was not insensitive to his charm. Since he had returned, she had admired the young man he had become. She had some times dreamed to lose herself in his arms. But sincerely, except the physical attraction, was there something else? 

She didn't have time to answer her question nor Harry's. He leant over her and tenderly kissed her on her lips. Ginny closed her eyes and felt herself floating. Then, after a few seconds only, he gently moved away from her lips. When Ginny reopened her eyes, she saw two green eyes looking at her. She felt Harry breathing regularly, his hot breath loosing itself in her neck. 

She wanted to talk "I…"

But Harry didn't let her finish and while he told her "Hush", he took her face in his hands and finally kissed her again. This time, Ginny lost herself, just like Harry did, in the kiss and those which followed.

/ Well, I had no idea I was going to make them kiss … To be continued… /